There are a wide variety of associated devices that can be connected to a gaming machine, such as a slot machine or a video poker machine. Some examples of these devices are player tracking units, lights, ticket printers, card readers, speakers, bill acceptors, ticket readers, coin acceptors, display panels, key pads, coin hoppers and button pads. Many of these devices are built into the gaming machine while some are grouped into separate units such as top boxes that may be placed on top of the machine.
Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, the gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control input devices, including bill acceptors and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from devices, such as button pads and levers, to determine the wager amount and initiate game play.
After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game. A game outcome presentation may utilize many different visual and audio components, such as flashing lights, music, sounds and graphics. The visual and audio components of the game outcome presentation may be used to draw a player's attention to various game features and to heighten the player's interest in additional game play.
The operations described above may be carried out on the gaming machine when the gaming machine is operating as a “stand alone” unit or linked in a network of some type to a group of gaming machines. As technology in the gaming industry progresses, more and more gaming services are being provided to gaming machines using a client-server model. In a client-server model, groups of gaming machines are linked via a dedicated communication network of some type to a remote computer that provides one or more gaming services using the dedicated communication network.
Maintaining a game player's interest in game play, such as on a gaming machine or during other gaming activities, is an important consideration for an operator of a gaming establishment. Many casinos now utilize player tracking programs to maintain a player's interest in additional game play during a visit to a gaming establishment and may entice a player to visit a gaming establishment to partake in various gaming activities. Player tracking programs provide rewards to players that typically correspond to the player's level of patronage (e.g., to the player's playing frequency and/or total amount of game plays at a given casino). Player tracking rewards may be free meals, free lodging and/or free entertainment. These rewards may help to sustain a game player's interest.
In a gaming machine, a player tracking program is implemented using a player tracking unit installed in the gaming machine and in communication with a remote player tracking server. Player tracking units are usually manufactured as an after-market device separate from the gaming machine. Many different companies manufacture player tracking units as part of player tracking/accounting systems. These player tracking/accounting systems are used in most casinos.
In general, player tracking units have been primarily designed to allow a player to enter a magnetic striped card and possibly enter an identification code using a key pad. Therefore, the player tracking unit interface, which has been designed to perform these tasks, typically includes a key pad, a card reader and a simple display, such as a vacuum florescent display (VFD).
Typically, a player inserts the player tracking card into a card reader provided on a gaming machine before game play begins. Player tracking software on the gaming machine or gaming network detects the card insertion, notes the player identity, and follows the gaming machine activity. When a player terminates interaction on the gaming machine, the gaming machine prints out a ticket, which may include the player's final status such as the time and a cash-out value. In some cases, the ticket may be coded to permit the player to insert the ticket in another gaming machine and utilize any credit or cash-out value associated with the ticket.
Frequently, during game play a player may have to leave the gaming machine, for example, to obtain more cash, cash-out or to take care of other transactions that may require a signature, such as signing for casino credit arrangements, rental car agreements, hotel rooms, or airline reservations. Having to leave a gaming machine often disrupts a player's gaming tempo, or causes a player to lose a particular gaming machine to another player which are undesirable occurrences to many players.
In the past, generally, many of the above transactions, as well as others, could only be validly accomplished through the handwritten signature of a player. Now, legislation has been enacted which confers the legal status of handwritten signatures to electronic signatures.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to have a device and/or method for accepting electronic signatures on a gaming machine that would allow a player to make signature transactions at the gaming machine.